Cleaning device



Nov. 19, 1968 J. 1.. KINGSLEY CLEANING DEVI CE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJuly 31, 1967 INVENTOR JERROLD L KINGSLEY Nov. 19, 1968 J. KINGSLEY3,411,170

CLEANING DEVICE Filed July 31, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR o JERROLDL. KINGSLEY m A RNEY J. L. KINGSLEY CLEANING DEVICE Nov. 19, 1968 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 31, 1967 FlG.5

INVENTOR JERROLD L K I (55 U 'f' I ATTOREY United States Patent .0

3,411,170 CLEANING DEVICE Jerrold L. Kingsley, San Francisco, Calif.,assignor to American Home Products Corporation, New York, N.Y., acorporation of Delaware Filed July 31, 1967, Ser. No. 657,219 Claims.(Cl. -50) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rug cleaning apparatus having thecleaning fluid release cooperating with a rotary brush actuator so thatcleaning fluid cannot be released from a reservoir until the cleaningbrush is rotating and the rotation of the brush cannot be stopped untilthe cleaning fluid flow is stopped.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the well knownfield of cleaning and polishing apparatus. One such apparatus isdisclosed in US. Patent No. 3,058,136 in which is shown a polishingmachine having an aerosol container of Wax mounted thereon and a meansfor selectively dispensing the wax onto a floor adjacent the polishingmachine. The rotary brush motor and wax dispenser of this prior artdevice are actuated independently.

The use of independent, non-cooperating actuating means for the cleaningfluid or wax dispenser and the rotary brush motor can cause the depositof an undesirably large amount of wax or cleaning fluid in one area.

Moreover, for rug shampooers it is particularly advantageous to applythe shampoo on the rug after passage through the rotating brush so thatthe shampoo is whipped-up into a foam. The use of a foam facilitatescleaning of the rug and prevents soaking of the rug in spots whichcauses longer drying time and may cause warping of underlying floorboards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates more particularly to animproved automatic floor cleaning device, especially a rug shampooer,provided with an interlock that connects the power trigger with theshampoo dispensing trigger so that the shampoo cannot be released untilthe motor is activated and the shampoo brush is turning and also so thatthe motor cannot be turned off until the shampoo flow has been shut off.

The invention provides for an improved automatic floor cleaning devicecomprising a brush housing rotatably supporting a brush disposedtherebelow, motor means mounted in said brush housing for rotating saidbrush, an inlet in said brush housing to said brush, a handle standardextending from said housing, said handle standard being pivotablysecured to said housing, a reservoir for a floor cleaning agent, havingan inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end, said reservoir beingfixedly mounted on said handle standard, a valve means in said outlet ofsaid reservoir, a conduit having one end in communication with saidoutlet of said reservoir and the other end in communication with theinlet in said brush housing, a handle fixedly mounted on said handlestandard, a motor actuator means fixedly mounted on said handle, firsttrigger means pivotably mounted on said P CC otably connected to saidfirst trigger so as to be urged laterally by said first trigger whenactivating said motor actuator means, said interlocking means beingadapted to engage said second trigger means to prevent actuation of saidvalve means by said second trigger means and being further adapted todisengage from said second trigger means only when urged laterally bysaid first trigger means whereby said second trigger is permitted toactivate said valve means and allow cleaning fluid to flow through theconduit and the inlet in said brush housing onto said brush only whensaid brush is rotating.

The objects, advantages and nature of the present invention will be morereadily understood from the descriptions of the preferred embodimentsthere of hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings nowdescribed below:

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the rugshampooer of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the handle of the shampooer of FIGURE 1 takenalong line 2-2 with the front cover removed to show the operating means;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the interlock connecting the powertrigger with the shampoo dispensing trigger;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the power trigger; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the shampoo dispensing trigger.

Although the principles of the present invention are broadly applicableto automatic fioor cleaning and Waxing devices, the present invention isparticularly adapted for use in an automatic rug shampooer and hence ithas been so illustrated and will be so described.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With specific reference to theform of the present invention illustrated in the drawings, and referringparticularly to FIGURES 1 through 5, the improved automatic rugshampooer is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10.

The rug shampooer 10 comprises a brush housing 12 Which is adapted to begenerally horizontal with relation to the floor. A handle standardcomprising a pair of shafts 14 is pivotably secured to ears 16 and 17 onthe housing 12.

The ends of the shafts 14 remote from the brush housing 12 are providedwith a handle 37. The handle 37 is provided with triggers 36 and 38, anda pair of handle arms 39. The purpose of triggers 36 and 38 will bedisclosed hereinafter.

A shampoo reservoir 18 is mounted on shafts 14 by brackets 20 and 22.Each of the brackets may be secured to the shafts 14 by any conventionalmethod such as by screws, studs or welding to the shafts 14.

The reservoir 18 is provided with an inlet 30 and an outlet 24. Amanually operated valve 34 is provided in the outlet 24. A rod 32passing through a sleeve 33 is connected to valve 34 at one end and totrigger 36 (shown in FIGURE 2) at the other end so that operation of thetrigger will open and close the valve seat to control flow Within thevalve 34.

The brush housing 12 is provided with a resilient bumper 52 extendingtherearound and Wheels 40 rotatably mounted on pins 42.

A motor 48 provided with a cord 50 is mounted by conventional means tothe uppermost surface of the brush housing 12. The out-put shaft of themotor 48 is connected by conventional means (not shown) to a brush 44for rotating said brush. The brush is provided with a plurality ofopenings 46 in alignment under inlet 28 on the brush housing 12.

A conduit 26 connects outlet 24 with inlet 28. The conduit is preferablymade from flexible plast c material such as rubber, polyethylene,polyvinyl chloride, saran, or the like.

FIGURE 2 shows the primary feature of this invention. The handle 37 isfixedly mounted on Shafts 14 by any conventional means such as bolts 54,55 and 56 A trigger 38 is pivotably mounted in the handle 37 on pin 58.

A microswitch 60 is mounted on handle 37 by any conventional method suchas screws 59 so that the squeezing of trigger 38 will cause it to pivotabout pin 58 and depress the microswitch activator 61. Cord 50 frommotor 48 and cord 51 connectable to an electrical outlet are attached tothe microswitch 60 so that the motor 48 is activated when themicroswitch activator 61 is depressed.

A trigger 36 is pivotably mounted in the handle 37 on pin 62. Thetrigger 36 is provided with a flange 68 wh1ch seats the end of rod 32 ina collar 86.

An interlock 76 that connects trigger 36 with trlgger 38 is mounted onhandle 37 for straight line lateral movement by means of a stud 74through a slot 72 In the interlock 76. The interlock 76 is provided witha notch 64 which holds the flange 68 until released when the interlock76 moves laterally. The lateral movement of the interlock 76 is causedby the connection of the interlock with the trigger 38 by pin 70 as thetrigger 38 pivots on pin 58 when squeezed. A stop 66 on the interlock 76restricts the downward movement of the flange 68.

A spring means 78 is provided that is attached to the interlock 76 at anattachment 80 and to an attachment 82 on trigger 36. Although openings80 and 82 are shown as the spring 78 attachments, the attachments may beother means, such as studs, hooks, eyes, or the like.

FIGURES 3-5 show the interlock 76, trigger 38 and trigger 36respectively. Although aperture 71 in the interlock 76 and pin 70 on thetrigger 38 are shown as providing a connection between the interlock 76and the trigger 38, the aperture may be provided on the trlgger 38 andthe pin on the interlock 76. Alternatively, the connection between theinterlock 76 and the trigger 38 may be by other conventional means suchas an opening in each of the interlock 76 and the trigger 38 and a pivotpin passing through the openings to connect them.

Trigger 38 is provided with an opening 57 for pivotably mounting thetrigger 38 on the handle 37 by means of the pin 58.

Trigger 36 is provided with an opening 63 for pivotably mounting thetrigger 36 on the handle 37 by means of pin 62 and an opening 84 onflange 68 for receiving the rod 32 with collar 86.

In the operation of the rug shampooer of the present invention, thetrigger 38 pivots on pin 58 and depresses the microswitch activator 61to activate the microswitch 60 and turn on the motor 48; also, as thetrigger 38 pivots, the interlock 76 is moved laterally through itsconnection 70, 71 with the trigger 38.

A straight-line lateral movement of the interlock is guaranteed by astud 74 through the slot 72 so that notch 64 of the interlock 76 clearsthe flange 68 on trigger 36. After the flange 68 clears the notch 64,the trigger 36 may be pressed so as to pivot on pin 62 and depress therod 32 which opens the valve 34 to permit flow of shampoo from thereservoir 18. The shampoo passes through the conduit 26 onto theopenings 46 of the rotating brush 44 to be whipped up into a foam.

Once the valve 34 is open, the motor cannot be turned otf until trigger36 is released even when hand pressure against the trigger 38 is removedbecause of the tension of interlock 76 against the flange 68 of trigger38. The release of trigger 36 allows the spring 78 to pull the flange 68into the notch 64. An additional spring means may be provided to urgethe flange into the notch such as a compression spring acting on the rod32.

Additionally, spring 78, after release of trigger 36, moves theinterlock 76 to its starting position with resulting rotation of trigger38 on pin 58. The rotation releases pressure on the microswitchactivator 61 and shuts oif the motor 48.

Until trigger 36 is depressed the flange 68 on trigger 38 is securelylocked in the notch 64 and downward pressure cannot be applied on rod 32to open the valve 34.

Thus it will be seen that there is provided an improved automaticcleaning device in which cleaning fluid cannot be released from itsreservoir until the cleaning brush is rotating so as to be able to whipup the cleaning fluid into a foam and in which the motor rotating thecleaning brush cannot be stopped until the flow of cleaning fluid isstopped.

Obviously, the embodiment shown is exemplary only and a wide variety ofembodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit and scopethereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic floor cleaning device comprising:

(A) a brush housing rotatably supporting a brush disposed therebelow,

(B) motor means mounted in said brush housing for rotating said brush,

(C) an inlet in said brush housing to said brush,

(D) a shaft extending from said housing, said shaft being pivotablysecured to said housing,

(E) a reservoir for a floor cleaning agent, having an upper inlet and alower outlet, said reservoir being fixedly mounted on said shaft,

(F) a valve means in said outlet of said reservoir,

(G) a conduit having one end in communication with said outlet of saidreservoir and the other end in communication with the inlet in saidbrush housing,

(H) a handle fixedly mounted on said shaft,

(I) a motor actuator means fixedly mounted in said handle,

(I) first trigger means pivotably mounted on said handle for activatingsaid motor actuator means,

(K) second trigger means extending from said handle for actuating saidvalve means so as to release cleaning fluid onto said brush,

the improvement which comprises a slotted interlocking means mounted onits slot for lateral movement within said handle cooperating with saidsecond trigger means to control said valve means and being pivotablyconnected to said first trigger so as to be urged laterally by saidfirst trigger means when activating said motor actuator means, saidinterlocking means being adapted to engage said second trigger means toprevent actuation of said valve means by said second trigger means andbeing further adapted to disengage from said second trigger means onlywhen urged laterally by said first trigger means whereby said secondtrigger is permitted to activate said valve means and allow cleaningfluid to flow through the conduit and the inlet in said brush housingonto said brush only when said brush is rotating.

2. The device of claim 1 further including a spring means on saidinterlocking means and attached to said second trigger so as to urgesaid second trigger means into engagement with said interlocking means.

3. The device of claim 2 in which said spring means is a tension spring.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said interlocking means is notched andsaid second trigger means bears a flange, said flange being capable oflocking into said notch to prevent actuation of said valve means by saidsecond trigger and disengaging from said notch when said interlockingmeans is urged laterally by said first trigger means.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said motor actuator means is amicroswitch.

6. The device of claim 5 which further includes a compression spring onsaid microswitch which urges said first trigger means away from saidmicroswitch so as to deactivate said motor means.

7. The device of claim 1 which is a rug shampooer.

8. A mechanism contained within the handle of an automatic floorcleaning device for controlling the valve means of the fluid reservoirof said automatic floor cleaning device which comprises:

(A) first trigger means pivotably mounted in said handle of saidcleaning device for activating a motor actuator means,

(B) second trigger means pivotably mounted in said handle of saidcleaning device and adapted to operate said valve means,

(C) a slotted interlocking means mounted on its slot for lateralmovement in said handle cooperating with said second trigger means tocontrol said valve means and being pivotably connected to said firsttrigger so as to be urged laterally by said first trigger means whenactivating said motor actuator means, said interlocking means beingadapted to engage said sec ond trigger means to prevent actuation ofsaid valve means by said second trigger means and being further adaptedto disengage from said second trigger means only when urged laterally bysaid first trigger means whereby said second trigger means is permittedto activate said valve means.

9. The mechanism of claim 8 wherein said interlocking means is notchedand said second trigger means bears a flange capable of locking intosaid notch to prevent pivoting of said second trigger means and ofdisengaging from said notch when said interlocking means is urgedlaterally by said first trigger means.

10. The mechanism of claim 8 further including a spring means on saidinterlocking means attached to said second trigger means so as to urgesaid second trigger means into cooperation with said interlocking means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS EDWARD L. ROBERTS, PrimaryExaminer.

